Alex Wood (SP/RP, CIN) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Alex Wood has had a rough road back to the mound after being sidelined with back issues, not having yet made his debut for the Cincinnati Reds after being the prized plunder of their off-season trade with the Dodgers. Though his recent rehab start […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the Saturday, July 13th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss […]

Dellin Betances Expected To Resume Throwing Program Monday

New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances (lat, shoulder) is expected to begin his throwing program on Monday. Betances has yet to pitch for the Yankees this year and is looking at a return sometime in August. While the hard-throwing right-hander won't see many save chances as long as Aroldis Chapman is healthy, he still […]

Blake Parker Back From Paternity Leave

The Minnesota Twins reinstated relief pitcher Blake Parker from the paternity list on Friday and optioned pitcher Devin Smeltzer to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. Parker has been out since July 3. While Taylor Rogers is still the better fantasy bet for saves for the first-place Twins, Parker is also an option in the […]

Cardinals Expected To Pursue Will Smith

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to pursue San Francisco Giants closer Will Smith as the trade deadline approaches. The Cardinals were engaged in serious discussions with the Giants about Smith in the offseason, according to sources. St. Louis is two games out of first place and is looking to make the playoffs for the […]

Phil Maton Acquired by Indians

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Phil Maton has been traded to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for international bonus-pool allotments. The Indians have optioned Maton to Triple-A, so he won't make an impact on the team right away. He has a 7.77 ERA in 21 relief appearances with the Padres this season. Maton pitched better […]

Diego Castillo Activated on Friday

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Diego Castillo (shoulder) has been activated from the 10-day injured list. Castillo missed three weeks due to inflammation in his shoulder. Castillo should see some save chances in Tampa, but Emilio Pagan is likely going to be the main guy in the ninth. Fantasy owners that are desperate for bullpen […]

Anthony Swarzak Activated on Friday

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Anthony Swarzak (shoulder) has been activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday. Swarzak missed the last two weeks due to elbow inflammation in his right shoulder. Swarzak has a 0.52 ERA since joining the Braves, so hopefully the injury doesn't slow him down.

Joe Smith Activated on Friday

Houston Astros relief pitcher Joe Smith (Achilles) has been activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday. Smith has not pitched this season after rupturing his Achilles tendon. He pitched decent in the minors, but has been a serviceable reliever in the majors for quite some time. The Astros will likely ease him back into […]

Diego Castillo (SP/RP, TB) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: While the Rays are almost certain to continue mixing and matching in the late innings, Jose Alvarado's oblique strain opens up more opportunities for Diego Castillo. Activated from the injured list himself earlier this week, the 25-year-old had been excellent for most of the season, […]

Closers and Saves Report - All-Star Break Edition

The All-Star Game happened, and it was fun. But then came Wednesday, the only day of the season with NO BASEBALL. It was awful, but we all made it, we survived. Thursday featured just one game, but then we're back to normal on Friday for the second half. There are plenty of teams still in […]

H2H Category Streamers - Week 15 Waiver Wire

There are plenty of strategies that fantasy managers explore in hopes of getting an advantage over their opponent. Heavy lineup, heavy starting pitchers, no catcher, all (or mostly) reliever staff, no reliever staff, etc. Even if you play a balanced lineup, injuries can cause holes. A few weeks without a key player won’t kill a […]

Chasen Shreve Recalled by Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Chasen Shreve has been recalled by the organization on Thursday. Jordan Hicks (elbow) was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot for Shreve. He's been strong in the minors, holding batters to a .216 batting average. Shreve should be useful in the […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019: Midseason Review

This week is as good a time as any to pause and reflect on the 2019 baseball season thus far. Fortunately, it's been a much less challenging year than last for yours truly. Other than a hapless squad in The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational (15-team industry leagues are tough, and weekly lineups and waivers are […]

Digger Deeper: AL-Only Waiver Wire Report for Week 15

very week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Jose Alvarado Placed On Injured List

The Tampa Bay Rays placed relief pitcher Jose Alvarado (oblique) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a right oblique strain. The move is retroactive to July 7, but Alvarado has already been ruled out for six to eight weeks. The hard-throwing left-hander is 0-5 in 2019 with a 5.06 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, seven […]

Red Sox Release Tyler Thornburg

The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday that they have outright released reliever Tyler Thornburg. The 30-year-old had recently exhausted his 30-day rehab limit with Triple-A Pawtucket. Over his rehab, he posted a 12.66 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. When in Boston, he was also dreadful with a 7.71 ERA in 18 2/3 innings this season. […]

Top 30 Impact Prospects for Redraft Leagues (Week 15)

The MLB All-Star Break is here and rosters are frozen but things could get interesting once play resumes later this week. When that happens, there will be less than three weeks to go before the trade deadline. Some prospects will be heading to new teams and new opportunities while others will simply rise up to […]

Digging Deeper: NL-Only Waiver Report for Week 15

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Fantasy Freebooters - Projecting the Pirates' Second Half

We're finally past the point where we know a team’s identity. The All-Star break is the standard time for fans, analysts, and front offices to figure out where the team stands, and what to look forward to. The Pittsburgh Pirates came into 2019 expecting to have one of the top rotations in baseball, while the […]

The Cut List (Week 15) - Time to Let Go?

The All-Star Break will be here after today's games. For players who won't participate in the game on Tuesday, it's a chance to take a break from the grind for several days. And several players could use one, like perhaps the cut suggestions below. Despite the days off, there's nothing really about the break that […]

Buy or Sell: Undervalued and Overvalued Players for Week 15

Today's piece covers a set of players who either should not be available on waivers or will return back there soon. Most of the earlier editions of this recurring buy or sell article have included several universally owned players whose values have been manipulated enough by early season performances. Unfortunately, as we get deeper into the year, […]

Liam Hendriks Nabs Fifth Save Of The Season On Sunday

Oakland Athletics reliever Liam Hendriks allowed a two-out single and nothing more to close out a 7-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. The 30-year-old has been fantastic out of the Athletics' bullpen this season and has usurped Blake Treinen for closing duties. Hendriks owns a 1.24 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 63/17 K/BB rate […]

Luke Jackson Earns 14th Save of The Season Sunday

Atlanta Braves closer Luke Jackson notched his 14th save of the season during a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday, but it did not come easy. Jackson allowed three hits and a walk in the frame, but some fantastic defense by Charlie Culberson prevented any runs from scoring. The 27-year-old owns a 2.66 […]

Scott Oberg Provides Relief

In a Colorado Rockies bullpen that seems to constantly be in turmoil, reliever Scott Oberg has been the only dependable piece so far. Oberg has worked as the closer, the setup man, the guy who gets a couple innings to finish out a loss, and he's taken it all in stride. Oberg tossed a shutout […]

Nick Mariano's Waiver Picks - Get 'Em While They're Hot (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The All-Star break is a unique time that stops the numbers from adding up and gives us a chance to reevaluate our squads in earnest. Or, perhaps it's your time to delete the fantasy apps from your phone and go on a brief retreat […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the Monday, July 8th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss […]

Will Smith Notches 23rd Save Of Season Sunday

San Francisco Giants closer Will Smith picked up his 23rd save of the season in Sunday's 1-0 win over the Cardinals. Smith closed out the ninth inning, allowing one hit and no walks with no strikeouts. He has been a solid fantasy closer this season and now owns a 1.98 ERA with 53 strikeouts and […]

Emilio Pagan (RP, TB) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of Leagues ANALYSIS: It's been a bit of a revolving door so far this year for the closer job in Tampa Bay, but right now, Emilio Pagan appears to be in the best position to earn saves in the near future. Jose Alvarado (oblique) could be […]

Kirby Yates Records Three Saves Against Blue Crew

San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates collected three saves in the four-game weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yates allowed only one baserunner in his 3 2/3 total innings and extended his major league leading saves count to 30. Yates will carry a sparkling 1.15 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and ridiculous 41 percent strikeout rate […]